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Message from the BALIF Board
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This is a busy time of year for BALIF. Among the many projects in which our committees are consistently engaged, we are preparing for our
annual Gala on March 2nd, 2018, Resisting Together, and drafting resolutions for next year's California Conference of Bar Associations (CCBA). Most people are familiar with our AMAZING gala, but many folks are not familiar with the impactful policy work BALIF is doing. I want to share a bit about CCBA and BALIF's policy work and urge you to get involved too.
Every winter, BALIF submits at least one resolution for a proposed bill to be debated at the California Conference of Delegates during CCBA. This past year, BALIF submitted 15 resolutions and nearly all of them passed. If you are into debating and policy work, CCBA is like a dream come true. In a grand ballroom filled with attorneys from all over California, resolutions are vigorously debated, giving any delegate the opportunity to advocate for or against different resolutions. When debating ends, we all vote (approximately 110-130 people). If the resolution passes, CCBA spends the next year lobbying for the resolution to get before the CA legislature and ultimately become law. BALIF's Community Activism Committee also follows the bills, writing letters of support and traveling to Sacramento to lobby for and publicly endorse the bills.
If you have an idea for a resolution or would like to attend CCBA next year, please reach out to Meaghan Zore, Chair of BALIF's CCBA committee at
ccba@balif.org. If you would like to get involved with lobbying and support for proposed bills BALIF is supporting, please contact me, Jen Orthwein, at
activism@balif.org.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Gala!
In solidarity,
Sincerely,
Jennifer Orthwein
BALIF Secretary & Community Activism Co-Chair
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"DEPORTED"
Film Screening and Q&A
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2018
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"DEPORTED"
Film Screening and Q&A
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Keker Van Nest & Peters -
633 Battery St, San Francisco, CA 94111
The Asian American Criminal Trial Lawyers Association and its sponsors invite you to join us for a film screening of "Deported," a five-part documentary series on NBC Asian American Presents. Q&A with Director Sahra V. Nguyen and the Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus legal team, will follow. The panel will discuss the recent targeting of Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees by ICE and the struggles faced by this community.
CO-SPONSORS
KEKER VAN NEST & PETERS, LLP
AABA
APABA-SV
BALIF
FBANC
KABANC
VABANC
SABANC
*FREE EVENT*
Space is limited to the first 75 RSVPs.
We anticipate the event will sell out
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BALIF February Happy Hour
THIS THURSDAY!
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Thursday, February 1, 2018
6pm-8pm
Wicked Grounds
289 8th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Come out Thursday, February 1st to Wicked Grounds for BALIF's monthly Happy Hour. This month's meet-up will non-alcohol and is ages 18 and up.
An espresso tab and other snacks will be provided by BALIF. Come mingle and show your support for this fabulous San Francisco Kink Business.
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
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ACCTLA Trial Judge of the Year 2017
(Contra Costa)
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| Carol Bowen with Judge Bowen. Photo courtesy of ACCTLA. |
Longtime BALIF member Superior Court Judge Christopher R. Bowen was recently honored by the Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association as the 2017 Trial Judge of the Year for Contra Costa County. Judge Bowen was appointed to the bench in 2010 and has just completed a five year assignment in Family Law, including two years as Supervising Judge.
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BALIF's 38th Annual Gala
Friday, March 2, 2018
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38th Annual Gala:
Resilient Together
March 2, 2018 7-11pm
VIP Reception 6pm
Purchase Tickets or Sponsor
Help us Celebrate our Awardees!
2018 Legal Service Award
Toby Adams
Intersex & Genderqueer Recognition Project (IGRP)
2018 Community Service Award
Justice Now
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2018-2019 FAIR Fellowship Opportunity
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The Foundation for Advocacy Inclusion & Resources (FAIR) is now accepting applications for its fifth annual FAIR Fellowship
(formerly called The Sanford Heisler Public Interest Diversity Fellowship)
, which will enable a new attorney to work full-time for two consecutive six-month terms at (1) Legal Aid at Work and (2) a law practice affiliated with the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), an organization of more than 1200 workers' rights advocates throughout California.
FAIR will fund a Fellow with salary and benefits during the first six months the fellow is working at Legal Aid at Work. The applicant will then be matched with a CELA affiliated firm for the second six month term and be paid a salary and benefits by that entity.
Applicants must have superior academic qualifications, be members of the California Bar (or anticipating becoming members by fall 2018), be committed to a career in social justice, and have 0-3 years of legal experience. Preference will be given to applicants with diverse backgrounds, demonstrated interest in employment law, clinical and/or pro bono and social justice interests, and plans to practice in California. Foreign language abilities and judicial clerkships/externships are also valued.
The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, April 2, 2018 and an award decision will be made by April 30, 2018.
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ALRP Executive Director
Bill Hirsh to Receive Award
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ALRP Executive Director, Bill Hirsh, will be honored at the Golden Gate University Law School Alumni Reception on January 30th. Bill has been selected to receive GGU Law Alumni's inaugural Positive Impact Award.
President David J. Fike, Dean Anthony Niedwiecki, fellow alumni and friends will be on hand for the awards presentation. This special reception honors leaders in the community who exemplify the mission and values of GGU Law. The reception includes hors d'oeuvres and beer, wine and soda. Tickets are $25/person.
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MBC First Quarter Meeting and
MBC Co-Chair Applications
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The Minority Bar Coalition (MBC) will be having our first quarter meeting on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 from 6-8pm at Baker & McKenzie LLP. Please have one representative from your organization register to attend the event by next Friday, January 12, 2018. Also, we will be raffling off one free BASF membership to one lucky winner who RSVPs before January 12, 2018.
Click here for more info.
2. We have extended the deadline for MBC Co-Chair applications. If you or someone in your organization is interested, please have them complete this form before Friday, February 9, 2018 5pm. Applicants will be notified the first week of January.
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The AIDS Legal Referral Panel FREE Winter 2018 MCLE Training Programs
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To RSVP
Call: 415-701-1200 ext. 303
What You Must Know About Planning for Your Death
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Thursday, February 15th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
* Presented by Jim Wood, Esq. (
Law Offices of James M. Wood)
Post-Death Administration: Basics of Handling Affairs When a Loved One Passes
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Wednesday, March 7th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
* Presented by Alma Soongi Beck, Esq. (Lakin Spears LLP)
#MeTooLawyers - Sexual Harassment Experienced by Lawyers
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Tuesday, March 20th, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
* Presented by Kenneth D. Martinson, Esq. (Kenneth Martinson San Bruno) and Heidi A. Machen, Esq. (Machen Law - machenlaw.com)
Don't Drink and Debate: Stay Sober, Be Calm, and Carry On
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Thursday, March 22nd, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
* Presented by Kenneth D. Martinson, Esq. (Kenneth Martinson San Bruno) and Michelle Leigh Kral (Morse Giesler Callister Karlin & Hiura LLP)
Asylum Claims for LGBTQI and HIV+ Clients
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Thursday, March 29th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
* Presented by Jose Z. Marin, Esq. (Jose Marin Law) and Melanie Kehr, Esq. (Jose Marin Law)
Location:
BASF
301 Battery Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA
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Giving to the BALIF Foundation
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Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the BALIF Foundation. The Foundation recently launched and is working to assist BALIF in bringing LGBT judges to the bench and supporting scholarships, stipends and fellowships for law students and attorneys working in the LGBTQ community.
You can donate here. In the four years ahead, we believe the Foundation's work will be critical in helping to protect our community.
For more information about the BALIF Foundation or how to get involved, contact Jamie Dupree
jdupree@fddcm.com.
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BALIF & The BALIF Foundation
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BALIF is the Bay Area's LGBT Bar Association, which is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit, which can engage in political activity. Its Board members are elected by the BALIF membership and chair various committees of the BALIF bar association.
The BALIF Foundation is BALIF's charitable arm. Donations to the BALIF Foundation are tax deductible because it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The BALIF Foundation is dedicated to increasing the number of LGBT judges on the bench through educational programming, supporting LGBT community organizations, and providing scholarships, summer stipends, and fellowships for LGBT law students and young attorneys seeking to help the LGBT community through legal work. It gave its inaugural summer fellowship for the summer of 2017.
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Job Postings Now on BALIF Website
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Looking for a job or a law school internship? As a BALIF member you get access to all job postings. Click
here to see the opportunities, or log into the
BALIF website with your membership ID and password, and select JOBS on the menu on the left.
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Partner Level
Counsel Level
Advocate Level
A.L. Nella & Co., CPA
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Jones Day
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
O'Melveny & Myers LLP
Pacific Gas & Electric
Sanford Heisler, LLP
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Sidley Austin LLP
Uber
Weaver, Austin, Villeneuve & Sampson LLP
Wells Fargo Legal Specialty Private Bank
White & Case LLP
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Benefactor Level
Individual Sponsors
Steven Medeiros, ACLU of Northern California
Joanna Barron, ADR Services
Jeremy Sousa, Altep
Susan Bluer, Bluer & Bluer
C. Todd Norris, Bullivant Houser Bailey P.C.
Laurie Klimchock, CAOC
Michael Colantuono, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC
Jim Laufenberg, Coldwell Banker
Peter Borkon, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
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Nyla Moujaes & Peter Catalanotti
Jamie Dupree
Stephan Ferris
Jaclyn Gross & Kevin Jones
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BALIF Foundation
Board of Directors
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Jamie Dupree, Chair
Shay Gilmore
Chelsea HaleyNelson, Secretary
Laura Maechtlen
Nina Paul
Linda Scaparotti
David Tsai
John Unruh, Treasurer
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